FIELD WKENS 



303 



The Chestnut-crowned Babtiler, P. ruflceps. — South and South-east Aus- 

 tralia. Two white bars on wing; head chestnut. Length 9.3 inches. 



B. Throat white, breast bright rufous. 



The Red-breasted Babbler, P. rubeculus. — North and North-west Australia. 

 Length 9.5 inches. 



Genus Calamanthus. Field Wrens. 



Confined to Australia. Small Wren-like birds frequenting 

 open scrub covered country. They are most often on the ground 

 itself, along which they move with great quickness in a succes- 

 sion of hops, or, if disturbed, they will take to cover running 

 from bush to bush. They are surely the smallest of game birds, 

 emitting so strong an odour that game-dogs stand to them as to 

 quail. The tail is held erect, and when the bird is resting, is 

 turned from side to side, as in the Fly Catchers. They will 

 perch on a low bush, and utter a clear and pretty song. The 

 nest is dome-shaped, placed on the ground, and hidden by the 

 surrounding grass, the bird frequently entering by a tunnel, 

 which may be a yard long, under the herbage. The eggs three 

 or four, wood-brown, clouded with reddish markings, .9 x .7 inch 

 about. The sexes are nearly alike in colour and size. 



A. — Head olive-greenish, streaked with black like the back. 



The Striated Field Wren, C. fuliginosus. — Tasmania. Wings sooty-black 

 narrowly margined with olive; tail with broad black sub-termina 

 band; a white eyebrow; throat, breast, flanks, and under tail-eoverti 

 streaked with black. Length 5.8 inches, wing 2.43, tail 2.3. 



B. — Head rufous, nearly uniform or with narrow blacls 

 streaks. 



The Field Wren, C. campestns. — Southern Australia from east to west. 

 Wings sandy-brown; tail with dark cross band and white tip; a 

 white eyebrow; throat white; rest of under surface pale yellowish, 

 streaked with dusky brown; under tail-coverts light rufous shaded 

 with brown before the tips, which are white. Length 4.5 inches. 



The Desert Wren, v. isabellinus, — Centre. Streaks on the upper surface 

 almost entirely lost. 



